Stronger
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: One-shot. Willow leaves Kennedy. Nothing graphic, rated just in case...


**_LbN: This is my first Buffy fic. Ever. Be gentle..._**

**Stronger (K/W, F/K, B/X)**

Willow threw some more of her clothes into the large suitcase that was almost full. While hastily grabbing a couple of blouses from her drawer, she knocked over a picture of her and Kennedy. She rolled her eyes. It showed Kennedy with her head in Willow's lap, asleep. Willow was looking down at her with an unhappy frown; though Kennedy said it was a look of concern.

Tossing the picture back on the dresser, she put the last of the clothes she was taking into the suitcase and heard the bedroom door open.

"What are you doing?" Kennedy asked.

"I'm leaving," Willow said.

"Oh for fuc—not this again! You're not leaving. You never do," Kennedy rolled her eyes.

"I mean it this time," Willow told her firmly, "I let you talk me out of this twice; but I'm not wallowing in unhappiness anymore."

Kennedy walked over to her and wrapped her arms around the witch's waist.

"Baby," she smiled, "Why would you want to leave me?"

"Besides the arrogance?" Willow said frowning; Kennedy made a noise of outrage, but Willow continued,

"You're controlling," she said.

"I am not!"

"And you don't listen."

"Yeah, I do!"

"And you're argumentative."

"No I'm not."

"And you can't take criticism."

Kennedy stood there looking pissed for a moment. Then, as Willow had known she would, Kennedy began to cry.

"Babe, you can't leave," she said shakily.

"You're not pulling this on me again," Willow said, picking up her purse and suitcase, "I'm going."

With that, she walked right past Kennedy without another look at the brunette.

**Stronger**

"Do you think she's okay?" Xander asked, "She hasn't been down since she got here."

"I'll go check on her," Buffy said, giving him a kiss, "but I don't think anything's wrong."

"I think we'd know if there was…" Xander said darkly, remembering three years before.

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs. She knocked on the door to Dawn's room; which Willow was occupying while Dawn was at college.

"Come in," she heard.

Entering the room, she saw Willow sitting cross legged on the bed, hands on her knees.

"How you doing?" Buffy asked her best friend.

"Awesome," Willow smiled, eyes closed, "I feel freer than I have in a long time."

"Well, I can see that, finally getting away from Kennedy…" Buffy muttered.

Willow laughed and opened her eyes.

"It's not just her. You remember when I got addicted? How it was so hard to quit until Tara came back? Well, I figured something out. I was using her as a crutch; like, a replacement for magic. So, well, you know…it was bad when she died. I didn't have my crutch anymore, so it was easy to fall back into it. I quit again, had a hard time with it, then Kennedy came along…"

"Another crutch?" Buffy guessed.

"Big time," Willow nodded, "because I was so afraid of my magic then. But now, I don't even feel the need to use it; because I'm doing stuff for myself again. I'm not relying on anyone, unless you count you and Xander," she smiled.

"I'm proud of you Wills," Buffy grinned, "And if you're done meditating, Xander made dinner!"

"Goddess help us…"

**Stronger**

"Thanks for calling me, Stevie," the girl said, "Where is she?"

"At the end there," Stevie said, "Girl tried to drink her way through my entire stash of whiskey. I cut her off while she was still partially sober…"

"Thanks," Faith nodded at him and paid Kennedy's tab.

She walked over to where the younger slayer was crying and looking into a glass of whiskey flavored ice.

"Come on Brat," she said, taking Kennedy's arm, "Let's get you home."

"Why? Seeelefme," Kennedy slurred horribly.

Faith glared at Stevie.

"Partially sober?"

"I tried," the barman shrugged. Faith rolled her eyes.

"Let's go Brat," she said, pulling one of Kennedy's arms around her shoulders and leading the girl out of the bar.

By the time they got to Kennedy's apartment, Faith was very grateful for the trashcan she had swiped from Stevie. She dropped Kennedy on the couch, watched her wobble for a moment, then, deciding that the younger girl wouldn't keel over anytime soon, went to wash out the trashcan. When she got back, Kennedy was crying again. Faith had gotten worlds better at witnessing other people's emotions, as well as expressing hers, but she knew when to keep her mouth shut, out of fear of saying the wrong thing. This being the case, she simply went over and held the girl.

"Go to sleep Kennedy."

**Stronger**

**6 Months later…**

"Wills, what do you think Buffy wants for our anniversary?" Xander asked as he looked at the assortment of clothes in a shop window.

"I remember her specifically saying something about you covered in strawberries and whipped cream…" Willow grinned, going into the store. She almost dropped her bags when she saw who was standing there.

"K-Kennedy," she said, surprised, "Um, how are you?"

"Doing okay," Kennedy smiled, "You?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Are you…um" Kennedy glanced at Xander, "Are you seeing anyone?"

"Nope, single," Willow smiled. Kennedy smiled wider.

"I'm going out with Faith."

"Faith as in, ex con, slayer, Faith?" Willow asked.

"Yup. It's good; she can keep up with me…"

"Meaning?" Willow quirked an eyebrow.

"Well you know, you were right," Kennedy smirked, "I am a bit of a handful sometimes. But to be fair, you didn't make it easy on me either."

"I know," Willow rolled her eyes. They weren't even dating anymore and Kennedy was still blaming her for everything.

"Don't roll your eyes," Kennedy pouted, "You never understood me as a slayer. You didn't get that control just came with the package."

"I don't see Buffy checking Xander's text messages to see who he's been talking to," Willow said, not really believing that she was arguing with her ex.

"Whatever, I've got to go," Kennedy said, "Tell Buffy hi, if you see her."

"Sure."

Kennedy walked past Willow and gave a smirk to a bewildered Xander, who was coming in at that moment.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Fine. She hasn't changed," Willow laughed, "Hopefully she was right about Faith being able to handle her…"

"Faith???"

"Apparently."

"The earth is doomed…"

* * *

**_So cry for me baby_**

**_And I'll cry for you. _**

**_And we'll both break down_**

**_And we'll both break through._**

**_Find our way and face the truth._**

**_And we'll lie down in our loneliness and_**

**_Wake up with our sad regrets and_**

**_Even though we don't know it yet _**

**_We both will be stronger..._**

* * *

**_LbN: Hope you liked it! Review please!!!_**


End file.
